On no-no's and 20 years since 'Bull'

Gavin Floyd nearly missed a no hitter on Tuesday

Here are some of the notable quotes from around Major League Baseball this week:

"I'm sure there will be a lot of hoopla surrounding it and, hopefully, an opportunity for the three of us to sit down and reminisce a little bit."

--Tom Glavine on being in the same stadium with Greg Maddux and John Smoltz for the first time in five years when the Padres came to Atlanta.
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

"There was a professional softball league that was playing in the old ballpark, and I went and caught a game there one night. I've played long enough where sometimes I feel like Crash Davis right now, but I'm hoping they're not going to send me to [Class A] anytime soon to teach some young kid how to pitch."

-- Marlins pitcher Joe Nelson a former hurler for the Durham Bulls, reflecting on the 20th anniversary of the movie Bull Durham.
(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

"It was kind of crazy, but I wouldn't change anything about it. I'm just glad I got the opportunity."

--John Lannan reflecting upon his journey last year, which took him from Class A to the Washington Nationals.
(Washington Post)

"He's the one that's doing this, not me. He's playing his tail off -- not that he doesn't always work as hard as he's working now -- but the results have been really good."

--Dodgers manager Joe Torre on outfielder Juan Pierre, who has worked his way back into the starting lineup thanks to a .563 average in his first 16 at-bats in May.
(Los Angeles Times)

"So far, so good. He's playing some innings, getting some at-bats, and he's not feeling any effects from his playing time. That's a good thing."

"Maybe it's because these guys got families. Everybody gets their sleep on the road. Who knows? It works for me."

--Darren Oliver searching for an explanation for the Angels' 12-5 mark on the road.
(Los Angeles Times)

"They started booing, so I said, 'Are we in Baltimore? They're booing a ball?' [Orioles catcher] Ramon Hernandez said, 'Yeah, that is weird.'."

--Jack Cust on the reaction of the home fans after umpire Ed Hickox raised his hand as if he was calling a strike, but he actually called the pitch a ball.
(San Francisco Chronicle)

"He'll be fine, bro. He's trying to get back in his rhythm after the DL. He'll find it. Unless something is still bothering him. You never know. J.J. is the kind of guy -- he'll go out and pitch, not like these young kids now. They have a broken fingernail and they won't pitch."
--Eddie GuardadoJ.J. Putz and his quest to return to the dominating closer he was last season.
(Seattle Times)

"Any time you can snatch a victory out of the jaws of defeat, you're ahead of the game. Whenever you can win games like this, you never feel like you're out of the game. That's a good mentality to have, and the only way you can get it is to be successful in coming through in some of these spots."

--Lance Berkman on Houston's come-from-behind victory on Sunday against Ben Sheets and the Milwaukee Brewers. The Astros trailed 6-2 before rallying to tie the game in the ninth and win it in the 12th on Hunter Pence's two-run home run.
(Astros.com)

"I hit it on the nosem but it was an awkward swing. He's such a tough pitcher, and I haven't had good success my whole career against him. He has been eating me up the whole time I've faced him, so I just got lucky."

--Matt Stairs on hitting what proved to be a game-winning home run off Javier Vazquez on Monday night. Prior to the at-bat, Stairs was only 1-for-29 against Vazquez.
(Toronto Sun)

"I didn't throw enough change-ups for strikes, and that affects how they can approach me. I'm disappointed I didn't go out and give my team a chance to win. When you get ahead [in the count, you have success. When you don't, you don't."

-- Arizona rookie Max Scherzer commenting on his first major league start on Monday night against the Phillies. Scherzer threw 92 pitches in four innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits..
(East Valley Tribune)

"I didn't put any extra thought into what went on. I wanted to go out every day and pitch, and pitch well. I knew there would be an opportunity, because we used so many pitchers last year. I wanted to heal and be sharp and give myself that opportunity."

--Darrell Rasner on making his first start of the season on Sunday after being recalled by the Yankees from Triple-A.
(Yankees.com)

"There were plenty of times when I would leave from my home in Georgia each year to go to Spring Training, and I would drive by Turner Field. I would tell my friends or my girlfriend that I was going to play there someday."

--San Diego utility player Callix Crabbe commenting on playing at Turner Field against the Braves. Crabbe went to high school in the Atlanta area and dreamed of playing there as a Major Leaguer.
(Padres.com)

"I can't live off all those questions or I'd go crazy. I'd rather look at it like this: What can I do for my team tonight? Then, at the end of the year, the numbers are going to be where they are going to be, and in my mind they're going to be great. But they're going to be great if you allow them to be. If you force it, if you press for it, then it doesn't happen."

-- Carlos Pena commenting on his early struggles at the plate this season in which he was hitting around .200. He entered Tuesday's game riding an 8-for-30 streak (.267) to raise his average to .215 to go along with seven home runs.
(St. Petersburg Times)

"We probably rushed him. He probably didn't have the proper development. When I say that, I mean he was short-changed a little bit in his development, because his stuff was so good. But he's a hard thrower with a nasty slider, and I think he's got back to the point where it's, like, 'It's me against you. Let's go. If you beat me, you beat me. If you don't, you don't.' And the results have been very good."

--Boston manager Terry Francona commenting on relief pitcher Craig Hansen, who was recently recalled from the minors. Hansen first debuted for the Red Sox in 2005, when, having just been drafted out of St. John's, he was rushed to the big leagues after a brief visit to the Minors.
(Boston Herald)

"He hit a home run, and then he threw one right back, even farther. That was scary. He threw two balls a total of 600 feet and put them both in a 2-inch by 2-inch box. Just scary."

-- St. Louis coach Larry Walker on outfielder Rick Ankiel, after watching the Cardinals outfielder hit a home run as well as throw out two runners at third base on Tuesday night -- one from deep center field and the other from the left-center field warning track.
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

"I'm just enjoying myself now. I feel like the stress is gone. I can feel the joy of -- like, I had a great career, but it's time to move on and do something else, although I'm not going to be the type of guy who's going to sit at home and bother Heather all the time."

-- Recently retired Pirates pitcher Matt Morris, who is home enjoying being a father to his daughter, Harper -- born last fall -- and his wife, Heather.
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

"That's what aces do. They come in and get you a win when you desperately need one, and we desperately needed one."

"You don't pinch-hit when it's a blowout. The game is always on the line. You have the whole game on your shoulders and I enjoy that."

-- David Dellucci, following his three-run home run off the bench in the Indians' 5-3 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
(Cleveland Plain Dealer)

"When I first get up here, I have to earn playing time. I have to pitch and earn the chance to pitch in certain situations. I feel like I've tried to show them that I can pitch in whatever situation they need me to."

-- Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Johnson, on his role in the team's bullpen.
(Washington Post)

"That was neat. It's been a long road for him. He's relishing this opportunity. He's just loving life right now."

-- Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Zach Duke, on teammate Sean Burnett making his first Major League appearance since August 2004 on Wednesday night. Burnett missed more than three years after undergoing two shoulder surgeries.
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

"It's tough. You're just hoping for somebody to get a hit, and fortunately Joe came through at the end. You don't ever want to be on the team that gets no-hit. That's for sure."